"It was quite a fine old mansion, set back from the street in a seclusion of green elms and branching beeches." (Lucy Maud Montgomery, _Anne of Green Gables_)

Are you a word wiz?

At the root of "mansion" is the Latin word "manere." What do you think "manere" means?

A. to build

B. to remain

C. to sleep

D. to exist

"Manere" means "to remain" and "to dwell" in Latin. In addition to being at the root of "mansion," we also find it in the origins of "manse" and "manor," two more words that refer to large houses. While the "dwell" meaning of "manere" gave us words for dwelling places, the "remain" sense of "manere" is found in other English words. Not surprisingly, the word "remain" itself traces back to "manere." So does "permanent," a word that describes something that remains for an unlimited time.